American Idol and iTunes: Exclusive, next-day performances

American Idol fans fear no more: you will now be able to download performances …

It was just a matter of time before the most popular television show in the world and the most popular online music retailer in the world got together to make sweet "music." Continuing to build upon the already-healthy relationship between Apple's iTunes Store and the Fox Broadcasting network, the pair has announced that, starting Tuesday, each performance on the hit show American Idol will be sold exclusively on iTunes for $0.99 a pop—not the original like past years, but the actual performance. Apparently Fox has decided that its choice of selling the songs on its own wasn't such a great idea after all.

For hardcore fans, the prospect of paying $23.76 instead of the $3.78 it would cost to download two episodes per week is probably a bit disappointing, but worry not: starting with the Top 12 (March 11, 2008), videos of all the performances will be available for a mere $1.99. It seems as though you will still be able to download the individual audio tracks after that date for $0.99, allowing you to save a dollar on Gangsta Rap Week for the only worthwhile performance of Murder was the Case.

iTunes (direct US iTunes link) will also let you subscribe to your favorite contestants' performances by automatically downloading each night's songs the next day. Now that is service. If you are more the type to mute the television and just enjoy the sights you will have to wait until the Top 12 when video is added.

For many of us in the Ars Orbiting HQ, American Idol is less about the singing and more about the experience of watching the show together, mocking the wardrobe choices, and poking fun at Paula. I'm not sure that we will be downloading any of the tracks (unless there really is a Gangsta Rap week) but we will definitely be watching.